Wedding Invitations

Yesterday we learned ushers were historically guards who helped escort and protect the bride and groom and in many cases, even helped kidnap the brides.

Now if that’s where ushers came from, why do we have bridesmaids?

Years later when the threat and ciaos of kidnapping had calmed down a bit, it became common for the bride to travel to her groom’s village while being escorted by her bridesmaids.  Kidnapping wasn’t entirely out of the question at this time, so the bridesmaids would dress in similar wedding gowns as to confuse anyone intending on sabotaging the marriage.  This way, hopefully the saboteurs would get confused and kidnap the wrong lady. I feel bad for the lady who was taken. I’d imagine it would be difficult to “act” like she was the bride (to trick them into thinking they got the right person), while fearing her own fate.

The reasons for the sabotage and/or kidnapping in these cases were often to hold the bride for ransom, rejected suitors wanted her for himself and some people simply wanted to rob the bride.

Ever wonder why it’s tradition for the bridesmaids to often wear gowns almost as beautiful as the brides? Well, this is one place where this idea came from.  Of course now days things have changed and we don’t play be the same rules.

P.S. These historical events took place in Europe.

Be sure to read up in next weeks wedding etiquette section. Have a beautiful weekend!